Browsing: Military

A Brief History On April 30, 1961, the Soviet Navy commissioned their first nuclear armed submarine, the K-19, later made famous in the 2002 movie, K-19: The Widowmaker.  Other ships have had movie titles featuring their name, and we have 10 prominent ones listed here. Digging Deeper 10. Battleship Potemkin, 1925. A silent film about the revolt on board the battleship in 1905 that eventually led to the Russian revolution and the overthrow of the Czar.  Considered a propaganda film, it was named by the Brussels World Fair in 1958 as the greatest movie of all time.  Many modern movies…

A Brief History On April 30, 1961, the Soviet Union was proud to commission their ill-fated nuclear powered submarine, the K-19. Digging Deeper The Soviet Union and the western democracies (led by the United States) engaged in a Cold War arms race, with nuclear weapons and nuclear powered ships that could carry those nuclear weapons a key element in the race for military superiority.  The submarine K-3 Leninsky Komsomol was commissioned in 1958 as the Soviet Union’s first nuclear submarine, but hardly the last. Called K-19: The Widow Maker in the 2002 film, another Soviet ship was actually known informally…

A Brief History On April 29, 1429, Joan of Arc, The Maid of Orleans, arrived at Orleans wearing the armor of a knight to lead the battle to lift the Siege of Orleans.  With her council and inspirational leadership, the siege was lifted and a legend begun.  Many times throughout history women have gone to war in many roles, from nursing to heavy labor, from flying fighter planes and bombers, to accurately sniping enemy soldiers.  Here are 10 prime examples of women warriors.  If 10 is not enough we can always make a sequel list! Digging Deeper 10. Catherine of…

A Brief History On April 28, 1192, the Hashshashin (Assassins) assassinated Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, just two days after his title to the throne was confirmed by election.  The incident was one of many bizarre and violent episodes to occur during the Crusades.  These wars rank among the longest religious conflicts in human history.  This article presents a timeline of some of the most bizarre incidents to occur in the roughly two hundred years long conflict between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land. Digging Deeper In late April 637, Jerusalem was…

A Brief History On April 27, 1945, World War II was almost over, a disaster for the Italian people who had been led into it by their pompous and egotistical dictator. Digging Deeper Benito Mussolini, or Il Duce (The Duke) as he was called, disguised himself as a German soldier and traveled with 15 of his henchmen, including his mistress, trying desperately to get to Switzerland. The plan was to go to Spain after getting to neutral Switzerland where he would be safe from the Allies and his own people.  Of course, he never made it, for he was arrested…